


Swimming On

by winonalover (thecannibalofoz)



Category: Mermaids (1990)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-10
Updated: 2016-01-10
Packaged: 2018-05-13 00:39:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5687887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecannibalofoz/pseuds/winonalover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlotte writes a letter to Rachel, 15 years after the main movie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Swimming On

Dear Mrs Flax,  
This morning, as I placed the lunch box, filled with small sandwiches, apples, and other healthy snacks, into my daughters rucksack, I thought about Joe. Not in a longing, wanting way - I’ve long moved on and found the man I call my husband - but in a sentimental, nostalgic way. I thought of the time I made him sandwiches, big ones, to take on our fishing trip. And I remembered how you cut them with the funny-shaped stencils. Oh, I was so mad at you for that, it's almost ridiculous looking back on it! Then again, you always knew how to push my buttons, and I always knew how to put on my fully fledged moody teen mode and push yours. No matter how much we'd argue and shout and scream at eachother, we never truly meant it, did we? Except for the night Kate almost drowned, of course. I'd never seen you so angry, and I'd never given you such a reason to be so angry, even though I was a difficult kid at the best of times.

Rachel. That's my daughters name, and your name. Although she's still far too young to be so glamorous, I know she'll be exactly like you when she grows up. She's wearing a little poka dot pink number as we speak; and her hair is raven black and thick and bouncy, just like yours. She's such a good little girl, always tries her best at school, and a great swimmer, just like Kate. I wonder what you were like as a child. You weren't always the Notorious Miss Rachel Flax, talk of the town, always on the move, never settling down. You might have been a demure little girl, quiet and shy, and you came out of your shell as an adult; you might've been weird and obsessive like I was; or you might have been confident, vivacious, popular. I wouldn't know, I never asked. We never did talk much about ourselves. Maybe we are just private people.

"See you later, Mommy!" she says as I kiss her goodbye. I never did call you mommy, did I? Or mother, or mom. It was always Mrs Flax, and Kate called you Rachel. That's rather unusual, isn't it? But that was the joy of it. Everything about our family was unusual, with the scandalous man-eating mother, the Jewish Nun, the trainee fish. And then we met Lou; I'm so glad for that. I'm glad that you two are happy together. I never thought you would stay in one place for so long, because you always wanted change and freedom. But people change US. For the better. Lou brings out the best in you. I might never call you mom, but I've called Lou dad before, and it felt so right rolling off my tongue that I almost forgot that he wasn't my real father, technically. But he was the best father I could've had.

You're happy. I'm happy. Kate is happy, with her fantastic swimming career. I knew she would make it, just knew it. She's so busy with training for her competitions and events that I can rarely catch up with her often, but when I do we always have a great time. She's still that fun, lively baby sister to me. It wouldn't surprise me if she got a pumpkin stuck on her head, even now!  
When I was 15, I could never have dreamed the future would turn out this way. Would turn out this happy. That we would all be where we wanted to be, where we needed to be. That although we'd never be a perfect, conventional family, we could still be our own, special family. And I can't wait till Christmas, when we can all be together, around the same table. Back then I dreaded the dinner table the most, but now I can hardly wait to be there again, with you. You, Lou, and your two little mermaids.  
Charlotte


End file.
